Mule Team question...

TRfromMT

TRfromMT

Joined
Jan 4, 2016
Messages
5,666
Why is the ricasso/finger guard on the Mule Team blades extended so far below the edge of the blade? Seems like it would hang up on things. Does the shape serve a specific purpose?
 
Seriously? A guard prevents your hand from slipping up onto the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The one on the Mule Team works for that.
 
I'd like to know the thinking as well.

Planning to mod my 20cv by grinding it down before pressing kydex for it. Would like to get more edge on the cutting board during food prep work.
 
yablanowitz said:
Seriously? A guard prevents your hand from slipping up onto the sharp cutting edge of the blade. The one on the Mule Team works for that.
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Yes, it was a serious question. It just seems...excessive... on the mules. I love the M.T. series and concept. It is a simple utilitarian design meant to be duplicated over and over. But it is a pretty stylish blade nonetheless - except for that little bit that hangs down. I'm wondering if the excess is on purpose

Eagle Scout said:
I'd like to know the thinking as well.

Planning to mod my 20cv by grinding it down before pressing kydex for it. Would like to get more edge on the cutting board during food prep work.
Click to expand...

I will be doing a set of handles on one and I'm going to do a small mod to that as well. For the same reason you mention.
 
Here's what I'm considering. The HT handles leave less than a mm of tang exposed. Would come around the bottom of the finger groove to the same tolerances. Still debating...

mule.jpg
 
Eagle Scout said:
Here's what I'm considering. The HT handles leave less than a mm of tang exposed. Would come around the bottom of the finger groove to the same tolerances. Still debating...

View attachment 789553
Click to expand...

That's what I'm planning to do. I will also flare the end of the handle scales slightly instead of flat, or even tapering in, to serve the same purpose.
 
It is there for safety. You can always grind it off but you cannot add it if it isn't there. That is why.

I have used multiple Mules a lot. For boning out elk, processing deer, cleaning fish, lots and lots of kitchen duty, hiking, camping, wood carving, gardening and general utility and daily carry. I cannot think of a time that it has gotten in the way but I also do not think it is really needed either.
 
I'll probably grind it down a bit on at least one of my Mules when I come around to putting my own grip on it. I suspect I'll leave slightly more of it then what Eagle Scout shows on his picture, but it reainst to be seen. I think it's unnecessarily big, but then again I grew up with Moras without any kind of guard. :)
 
TRfromMT said:
That's a nice look Eagle Scout Eagle Scout
Thanks for sharing. Now I gotta figure out a way to re-grind that area without inducing too much heat.
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Thanks. Closest I could find to something possible for the Mule based on their other products.

A Dremel with a sanding drum will do it. Draw the shape in marker and tape off the rest of the knife. Clamp the blade down to the bench and go SLOW.

I just did a finger choil on my ZT 0562 and it came out great. Put the nozzle of the shop vac just behind the work area to keep the metal shavings moving and the air cool. At no point did the blade get hot during the process. Finished it with a spiral sewn buffing wheel on the drill press. Photo is posted to the forum 3/4 of the way down the page HERE.
 
TRfromMT said:
Yes, it was a serious question. It just seems...excessive... on the mules. I love the M.T. series and concept. It is a simple utilitarian design meant to be duplicated over and over. But it is a pretty stylish blade nonetheless - except for that little bit that hangs down. I'm wondering if the excess is on purpose.
Click to expand...

I apologize if I offended, the question just struck me as odd. The length of the "guard" on the Mule Team knives is about half the thickness of my index finger, hardly what I would consider "excessive". But my Mules don't see kitchen/cutting board duty, they go to work with me and see the hardest, dirtiest, nastiest jobs that I can find to throw at them. In the course of some of those jobs I've actually wished for a bit more guard, but so far what is there has been sufficient. As others have said, it's much easier for you to take some off than for me to put some on.
 
The guard is definitely there for safety. I do not own knives without them and I also do not prefer folders that use a shallow choil that will allow a finger to slide up on the blade. If you actually use a knife for cleaning game you will get bloody and slick. If you use it in the yard, you will get muddy and slick. If you use it at work it can get oily, sweaty, or gummy, and slick. If you have a knife slide through your hands just once, you will be on board with the guard (love the Delica for this reason). Ask Phil Wilson how he feels about this, sometime.
 
Just clarifying - I completely understand what a guard on a knife is and is for. Whatever I do to it will be enhanced by the scale design.

I meant to ask if the one on the M.T. is that size and shape for some specific reason to the M.T. design. Manufacturing? Because of some intended prototyping feature? Really only a curiosity.

It's like the hole in the sebenza 21 scale - it's a feature for some manufacturing step to fixture the scale while machining. I was wondering if there was something similar about the M.T.
 
The finger groove behind the right angle "quillon" we are talking about is more than enough for safety and/or grip for me personally. The very steep thumb ramp on top helps as well. Spydero makes a puukko, right? Just depends on your intended use.

As to the intended purpose of design, it's a good question - especially the 90 degree hard angle.
 
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I started in on my handles this evening. These are some really nice ironwood slabs I have been saving for this project. I got the front shaped and polished up to 1000 grit. I'll glue it up later tonight.

PdzirPJm.jpg


I did grind down the guard. I'll get pictures of that as I go.
 
I am a Puukko fan and don't need a guard but they don't bother me either. When processing large game I cut myself on occasion but it is always my offhand, not the hand holding the knife.

I did grind most of the guard off one of my mules but that was just so it would fit in a leather Temperance2 sheath better. This was before they sold a leather Mule sheath.

TR, looking forward to more pics! :)
 
How she looks out of glue up. I use GFlex, and it looks a mess at the moment, but it will clean up nice. I do the rough shape of the slabs prior to glue up. Some guys are good enough to free-hand a handle after glue up, but I like to get each side the same thickness. I use calipers and get them within .005" of each other before I glue them on. I also rough out the "bevels" around the perimeter, which later will all be nice radiused ovoids. Just my preferred method. This handle has a slight taper toward the front so it fills your hand a little, but is still easy to get good dexterity with a pinch grip. The strong drop and belly of this handle profile seems to want to naturally have a thumb-on-top grip. The taper complements this, and I will still have a little more flare at the front to enhance the guard that I ground off.. All my opinion, of course. YMMV.

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